It’s only been a few months since our wonderful winter wedding took place in the magnificent ballroom of Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, on a record snowfall weekend in the Rockies. Since that day, naturally I’ve been asked many questions about how it all went down & what I thought about being on the other side. Below I’ve compiled a list of somewhat entertaining FAQ’s from my wedding planning experience and my thoughts from the day.
Q: What was your favourite part about planning your wedding?
Dress shopping! I went with my mother and it was such a special moment for us together. There were a lot of tears, haha! I’ll cherish that for the rest of my life. Also, Kristian and I took dance lessons together and turned that into a date night every couple of weeks – It was a blast!
Q: What was the best part of the day?
Our first look – I was so glad to have that moment together before the ceremony, it was so romantic! Since I’m usually the person who pins on boutonnieres at weddings, I wanted to pin the boutonniere on my groom – Finally – So we met at the ceremony site before all the guests arrived. I think it was important for us both to get some of the jitters & tears out before the ceremony, which helped us be more present. We also had the most romantic ceremony possible thanks to our incredible officiant & close friend, Tamara Jones.
Q: What was your top priority in planning?
I know I always tell my clients this is the worst thing you can do – But everything was important to me. Goodness! Maybe the most important thing to me was guest experience, if I had to choose. I wanted my guests, Kristian and I to have so much fun! For that reason, I hired my favourite DJ (DJ Fayyaz!), picked a venue that felt like a slice of heaven on earth and that had an incredible chef at the helm, and made decisions that would ultimately help our guests feel loved & thought about.
Q: Do you have any regrets in planning?
I should’ve stressed less. Everything works out in the end, and there are some things I really over thought (surprised?… me neither!).
Q: What was the hardest part about planning the wedding?
Picking vendors took me so long because of how many incredible people I have come to know & love through my business. Also, the guest list was a challenge because of course, you want to have everyone there that you love & not leave anyone out. And finally, I’d also say I felt a lot of pressure & expectations about what my wedding was going to look like! I felt like I had to please everyone & re-invent the wheel, and it took some time for us to really get down to what we wanted and what was right for us.
Q: What was most surprising to you along the process?
How time consuming such seemingly “simple” tasks are… Such as sending invitations (and no, not picking the invites or wording them, I mean just the very last act of sending them). Between the licking, sticking, glueing on the wax seals just right, and getting everyone’s addresses… It’s such a process! I found with wedding planning there are lot of small tasks that actually take a lot of time & can be more stressful than you think.
Q: Looking back, what are you most grateful that you did throughout the planning?
Hands down – Even though I am very capable of planning a wonderful event, handing it over to my team to coordinate was a complete sanity saver in that last month & on the wedding day! Also, I am SO glad we hired videographers (Parfait Productions) – Being able to relive some of the incredible moments from the wedding day is priceless. I never imagined it would be so moving to be honest!
Corrina Walker Photography
Q: Did anything go wrong on the day of?
I didn’t eat enough cake…? Haha, really though – No. It was perfection in my eyes. Every single one of my vendors was an all star, I had absolutely no worries or stress. I floated through the day as the happiest I’ve ever been, feeling overwhelmed with love & excitement. It sounds cheesy but it’s the truth. I really hope every bride gets to feel that on her wedding day.
Q: Do you have any advice for couples now having been through this process?
Well, I have to say, I might have been one of the happiest & calmest brides ever (at least this is what Aimsley tells me). So, my biggest takeaway is the better you plan, the more you’ll party. Being organized helps ensure there are less surprises on the day, for you and for everyone else, and that you’ll get to enjoy each and every moment, and be present. It’s so important to soak it all in so it doesn’t fly by.
And lastly – Hire people you love & trust! I felt so taken care of on my day, I knew no matter what happened, the team I had in place cared about me and would do whatever they could to ensure a perfect day for my husband, guests and I.
Corrina Walker Photography
